Life and knitting: when money takes over

This makes me mad and sad:

When cushions could make commercial sponsors angry

"The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) initially told volunteers from the Woolsack project that they could present the 5,000 cushions they had created as souvenirs for the stars.

But now, in apparent fear of angering commercial sponsors, they have reneged on the deal."

Emphasized by me.

This makes me sad and mad:

Knitting denigrates real athletes

And this is just disgusting:

First let me insult you and then knit for me, ok

Me, knitting for you? Not even if you pay me for it!

This is what happens when the true spirit of an event gets lost and money takes over.

Needless to say I will boycott the commercial games.
My love is with Ravelry and their event and that's what I will be doing, still.

What I would really love to hear about (since I won't be watching I can't see it): athletes taking our their craft between bouts and after their race and happily crafting away.
But that is just wishful thinking on my part.

Events and Knitting: Ravelympics

Are you participating?

Every now and then I add some more madness to my already eventful life.
Like the Ravelympics!

It's a virtual event held over at Ravelry, one of my favourite virtual hangouts ;-)

I'm already (again, still) participating in the ongoing Guild Challenge in the Ankh-Morpork group and have decided to join the local team.

There are several events I'm going to participate in:
- the Cowl Jump
- the hand-dye high dive
- the handspun heptathlon
- the hat dash
- the shawl sailing
and
- the single skein sprint

One of the fun things is the preparation!
Lots of picking yarn and patterns, checking the needles, oiling the wheel.
And the shop will benefit, too :-)

I think it's going to be fun :-)

Etsy: I love EVERYTHING on this treasury

My favourite colour.
Next to purple and dark pink - TARDIS BLUE!

Life: inspiration

I get my inspiration from a lot of things.

Things I see.
Things I hear.
Things I smell.

And sometimes things I read:


Mad Man Knitting

I don't think he's mad at all.
But I do think that he is quite the inspiration.

Etsy: Treasury

No, not one I'm featured in.

But one I made. I love each and every item on this list and the first pair of earrings featured is going to be mine :-)





I'm featured in this one :-)

Life: The wheel keeps on turning.

Hello, out there!

I'm still here, yes!
And I'm doing very good and hope the same of you!

I haven't been around much, that's what you get when you work full-time, are married and have a household on the side. It took a bit to get used to the daily grind again, but we are now in a pattern that works nicely for us.

So, what happened?



Well, the sad news first: my little rascal Pooka died. She wasn't that old, but became very ill to the point that we had to put her down. I was her human and I still miss her very much. She would tap my arm when it was time to wake up (her schedule, not necessarily mine) and I sometimes still expect her paw on my arm in the mornings.

Some yarn was dyed:




With Confetti and Pixies Den I tried out a different technique and I have to admit, I like it.
It involves less water, more steam and sprinkling.
I haven't made any for myself yet, but that will happen!


Some hearts were decorated:



Two little brooches - crocheted flowers, buttons, beads and prefelted hearts I had around for a while. One rainy Sunday and - voila, two new brooches.

Spring has been wet. Very wet. So whenever the weather was better we were out and about.

On Queensday we headed to the beach. It's not the most beautiful beach in the world, but it's about 10 miles away and makes for a nice day out. The entrance to the port is there and you can see the big cargo vessels come and go, as well as surfers, kites, sailing boats...
We had hoped to feed some seagulls, but alas - none to be found.

And the water was COLD!
Really COLD!





What else did I do?

Oh, yes - I went to the National Knitting Days with my friend Shaby!

It was great meeting many old friends and make some new friends.
We both were on a budget, but honestly - I didn't find it difficult or hard to stick to it. I had done some preparation and looked online at stuff I might wanted to get and I came back home with loot and money to spare ;-)



1kg of German Blackface
4 small packs of locks for felting
1 Malabrigo
4 Drops Delight for a shrug
2 Lang Mille Colori for a shawl

I'm currently knitting the shrug out of the Drops Delight and love it! Great colours, soft yarn - I'm in love.

Next on my list is
Bigger on the inside in some of my hand dyed yarn. I will only use one skein and shorten the border a bit. I might also knit the Vortex in a Doctor 10-inspired yarn (brown and blue) and the Tardis border in blue...
Or maybe the Vortex in Pale Skies and then...

What do you think?

Dyeing: Rainbow Glitter Yarn

I made this as part of the March Dye-Along on Ravelry for the Dutch Dyers.

I used:
- one hank of Sterlin Silver sock yarn
- vinegar, liquid detergent, wate
- pot
- SEWO colours in green, lemon yellow, red, pink, burgundy, blue, cobalt and purple

I soaked the hank in water, vinegar and a drop of detergent for about an hour.
Squeezed out the access water and placed it in my pot so it would fill out the bottom perfectly.
Poured water over it to barely cover it and added a splash of vinegar.
Turned on the heat on LOW! You want steam, not boil.

Used the tip of a spoon to sprinkle, yes sprinkle the dye powder on the yarn.
Put a lid on and left it alone.
Did some stuff around the house.
Cuddled some cats.
Made a cup of coffee.
After around 15 minutes I came to check on my yarn and to turn the hank over.
Placed the lid and went my merry way for another 15 minutes.

And this is the end-result:





It's going to be a shawlette.
The pattern is going to be written for one of my two best friends and this will be the yarn to test knit it :-)

I will use this technique again, with roving as well as with yarn. I can imagine it could produce the funkiest socks on earth! And for spinning - well, you know me, I like colour and I like adventures.
You have to be able to let go with this technique, which is a good exercise for a control freak like me :-)

I also knitted some, but I show you that later!